Sunday, April 19, 2020

Saints + Scripture: II Sunday of Easter | Divine Mercy

The Popish Plot: vEaster
"Divine Mercy Sunday 2020"

Death without the Eucharist: Day 32
He was thirty-two days dying & not yet dead.

'Tis the Second Sunday of Easter, the Octave of Easter, A.K.A. Divine Mercy Sunday (A.K.A. Quasimodo Sunday, Thomas Sunday, Low Sunday): Wikipedia-link Second Sunday, Wikipedia-link Octave of Easter, Wikipedia-link Divine Mercy; Paschaltide-link & Wikipedia-link Paschaltide.


Commentary: Wayback Machine Divine Mercy.

Scripture of the Week
Mass Readings—Second Sunday of Easter
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter two, verses forty-two thru forty-seven;
Psalm One Hundred Eighteen (R/. one), verses two, three, & four; thirteen, fourteen, & fifteen; & twenty-two, twenty-three, & twenty-four;
The First Letter of Peter, chapter one, verses three thru nine;
The Gospel according to John, chapter twenty, verses nineteen thru thirty-one.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in today’s Gospel Thomas says that he will not believe in the Lord’s Resurrection unless he puts his finger in the nailmarks and his hand in Jesus’ wound. Thomas is a saint especially suitable for our time. Modernity has been marked by two great qualities: skepticism and empiricism, the very qualities we can discern in Thomas.

And when the risen Jesus reappears, he invites the doubter to look, see, and touch. But then that devastating line: “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

If we stubbornly say—even in the area of science—that we will accept only what we can clearly see and touch and control, we wouldn’t know much about reality. This helps us to better understand Jesus’ words to Thomas. It is not that we who have not seen and have believed are settling for a poor substitute for vision. No; we are being described as blessed, more blessed than Thomas. God is doing all sorts of things that we cannot see, measure, control, fully understand. But it is an informed faith that allows one to fall in love with such a God.
Video reflection by Father Greg Friedman, O.F.M. (U.S.C. of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Video reflection by Father John Riccardo (Acts XXIX): "The Inheritance No Thief Can Touch."

Video reflection by Father Michael Nixon (Saint Dominic Media): Made for Glory.

Video reflection by Father Martin Latiff, M.C. (Fellowship of Catholic University Students): Reflection.

Audio reflection by Scott Hahn, Ph.D. (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology): Breaking the Bread.


Scripture Study—The 3:16 Project
The Letter to the Philippians, chapter three, verse sixteen.
Only let us hold true to what we have attained.


Otherwise, 19 April would be the festival of Saint Expeditus of Melitene, Martyr (died 303, A.K.A. Elpidius), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperors Diocletian & Maximian, a victim of the Great Persecution (303-313): Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Persecutions-link & Wikipedia-link Great Persecution.

Commentary: Wayback Machine 19 April.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Crescentius of Florence, Deacon (died circa 396): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link (List § "St. Crescentius, deacon of Saint Zenobius").

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Ursmar of Lobbes, Bishop & Abbot, O.S.B. (circa 640-713), second (II) abbot of Lobbes Abbey (691-713) & co-founder of Aulne Abbey: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Lobbes & Wikipedia-link Aulne.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Ælfheah of Canterbury, Bishop & Martyr, O.S.B. (circa 953-1012, A.K.A. of Winchester; also spelt Alphage), Archbishop of Canterbury (1006-1012), Bishop of Winchester (984-1006), & abbot of Bath Abbey; martyred by Vikings under the command of Thorkell the Tall: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link Canterbury & Wikipedia-link Canterbury, Diocese-link of Winchester & Wikipedia-link of Winchester, & Abbey-link & Wikipedia-link Bath.

'Twould also be the festival of Saint Leo IX, Pope (1002-1054, the "Pilgrim Pope;" A.K.A. Bruno of Egisheim-Dagsburg), one hundred fifty-second (CLII) Bishop of Rome (1049-1054), whose personal holiness could not prevent the Great East-West Schism (1054); Bishop of Toul (1027-1049): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Pontifex-link & Wikipedia-link Pontifex; Diocese-link & Wikipedia-link Toul; & Wikipedia-link Schism.

'Twould also be the festival of Blessed Conrad of Ascoli, Religious, O.F.M. (1234-1289): Blessed-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Twould also be the festival of Blessed James Duckett, Martyr (died circa 1601), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

Papal Quote o' the Day
"A sincere & zealous reformer will avoid extremes & never overstep the bounds of true reform. The true reformer will always be united in the closest bonds with the Church & Christ, her Head."
—Pope St. Pius X (1835-1914, r. 1903-1914; feast: 21 August)
Saint Quote o' the Day
"Extend your mercy towards others, so that there can be no one in need whom you meet without helping. For what hope is there for us if God should withdraw His Mercy from us?"
—St. St. Vincent de Paul (1581-1660, feast: 27 September)

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